Ribera del Duero consists of three distinctive sub-regions. In the west, the region around Peñafiel is the cradle of some of the most famous wines, notably Vega Sicilia. Its wines tend to be round and open, with many local variations. The centre of Ribera, around Roa de Duero, is the most classic sub-region, where most of the old vines lie. Wines tend to be more tannic and austere, again with great diversity. Here, Pingus is the benchmark. In the east, there is a small area around San Esteban de Gormaz with a more continental climate and sandy soils (most plots are phylloxera-free). As a result, wines are warmer and quite intensely concentrated. Atauta offers a leading reference point. While these differences are worth knowing about, be warned that most labels do not indicate where their grapes come from.

Tempranillo, the Riojan name for Tinta Fina, is the queen of the entire region. Sometimes it is blended with other varieties (regulations allow up to 15%). Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, first imported – together with Malbec – by Vega Sicilia in the 19th century are now quite common. These varieties tend to provide more tannic firmness. Some very old vineyards are field blends of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Bruñal, Bobal, Albillo and many other varieties. In those cases, the character of the wine depends more on the vineyard than on the variety.

The best Tempranillo wines are particularly well suited for ageing. Ribera wines need a bit of age in order to express themselves; the best ones can improve over decades in bottle. When the vintage is good, Tempranillo yields very ripe fruit, lots of relatively round tannins and moderate acidity. On top of this, oak is very relevant to Ribera’s character: one can taste it in most of the region’s wines.

I enjoyed the great challenge of sampling 193 wines – when compiling the Ribera del Duero Report 2024 – that were served at random and tasted blind (with thanks to the appellation’s governing body, who very kindly supported me in all logistical aspects). In addition, I tasted Vega Sicilia’s portfolio outside of these parameters and knowing what each wine was. I recognise that labels have an influence on me: my notes on Vega Sicilia’s wines are written with passion but please consider the scores with much prudence. With this in mind, I feel that such a huge blind tasting gave me an overview of the region’s wines that I would not have been able to get otherwise.

At the top-quality level, I see three major wine styles – which this tasting helped further solidify for me: Vega Sicilia’s Único is the flagship for a style based on long-ageing. Fruit is secondary to texture, complexity and length in these wines, made to live for decades. Valduero and Pérez Pascuas provide very good examples.

The second style is more prevalent. It is based upon concentration, very ripe fruit, intense oak ageing (which is becoming less and less obvious) and density, with great balance. The best wines will also develop greatly. Carraovejas, Valderiz, Calogía, Milénico, Yllera’s Vivaltus are excellent examples. Pingus (not tasted in this Report) was the pioneer for this style, although now sits closer to a third style of Ribera wine.

This third style is built upon finesse. Producers highlight the most refined aromatic expressions, run away from excessive oak influence and dedicate much effort to obtaining complex and silky textures. Valdemonjas, Dominio del Águila and Valtravieso fall into this category.

After the tasting, I also decided upon my heroes for this year. I obviously exclude Vega Sicilia from this consideration since I did not taste the wines blind. My first hero is Francisco Barona. I taste many wines during the year; I feel fortunate because I enjoy many of them, but it is rare that I get exhilarated by a particular wine in a blind tasting. With Barona’s top wine I was completely puzzled – it was the first time that I had ever tried his wine – but also completely happy. The depth of fruit and the finely grained texture are simply unbeatable. It is a wine with enough concentration to be in the second stylistic group I mention above but so refined that it belongs to the third group (and probably as capable of ageing as the great wines in the first group). Production is minute; I assume that tasting Barona’s wines will become almost impossible in the near future.

A second hero is Bosque de Matasnos, a small winery in a very unique forest in an isolated area that sells great wines at bargain prices. Possibly a consequence of climate change, I see a great future for this producer and its sub-zone.

My overall champion of the Ribera del Duero Report 2024 is Pago de Carraovejas. It is, in my opinion, one of the best brands in Ribera and elsewhere, equivalent to Bordeaux’s Grand Cru Classé wines. It offers great quality, enough quantity (several hundred thousand bottles each year), a well-defined flavour profile and the capacity to age graciously for many years. Ribera del Duero has decided not to foster single vineyards, and therefore the region is bound to build its future success through its brands. I am convinced that, upon this basis, Carraovejas is sure to become a great ambassador for Spain at its best. For me, this label is surely a game-changer.